Arsenal face stiff competition for Onana as rivals interest grows in Ajax goalkeeper

Arsenal face competition to sign Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana as rival interest has grown since the verdict to reduce his doping ban.

Andre Onana has been serving a year-long suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, however, after appealing the original punishment by UEFA, the Ajax goalkeeper had his ban reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Ajax goalkeeper will be allowed to leave the club this summer and the verdict has intensified interest in the 25-year old whose contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Arsenal has been interested in Onana since last January and has been monitoring his situation closely. The Gunners haven’t made an official offer yet, but technical director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta are said to be big admirers of the Cameroon international. Arsenal has held discussions with Onana’s entourage but has not followed this with an official bid yet.

It is a complicated situation due to uncertainty over Bernd Leno’s future. Leno is Arsenal’s current first-choice goalkeeper and is open to a move but wants to make a decision only after Euro 2020 as he has been called up to the Germany squad. Onana is keen on a move to Arsenal but wants assurances that he will be the first-choice goalkeeper but this outcome is uncertain if Leno remains at Arsenal.

The keeper is now attracting strong interest from European clubs as Ajax look to get a deal done as early as possible as they would not want him to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2022. A club that finished in the top eight of the Premier League last season has reportedly made contact over a potential transfer while some French clubs have also expressed their interest.

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